With Christians banned from travelling abroad for religious purposes, strict restrictions on house churches and a series of raids on pastors, an increasing number of believers have been put behind bars.

But furious Christians are fighting back turning the very strict rules imposed by the authorities back on them.

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Armed police soldiers lift timbers during a drill on August 24, 2016 in Chongqing, China. As the highest temperatures reached over 40 degree Celsius at 5 districts in Chongqing, officers and soldiers of an armed police crop took outdoor training

Bob Fu, founder and president of China Aid, told Express.co.uk: "This proposed revision of the regulation on religious affairs in China represents the harshest and most strict policy on controlling religions and religious affairs since the time of Cultural Revolution.

“Contrary to the commitment of protection on freedom of religious belief in China's Constitution, this will further infringe millions of Chinese citizens' freedom of religion and belief.

“For Christians, it technically leaves no legal room for the existence of the house churches and bible reading as well as prayer meetings without explicitly being approved by the Chinese Communist Party controlled patriotic associations and religious affairs bureaus.

“It even forbids any religious activities such as prayer when a church involves charitable work. The new regulation dramatically expands bureaucratic controls on religious activities with additional levels of administrative agencies such as community council and village administration.”